At the junction of Zhenfeng County and Guanling Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County in Guizhou Province, the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge spans the vast canyon below. Setting world records for both span and height, the bridge has a main span of 1,420 meters, making it the world's longest-span steel truss suspension bridge in a mountainous canyon. Its deck stands 625 meters above the water surface below, making it the world's highest bridge.

Since opening to traffic on September 28, 2025, the bridge has become both a vital transport link and a must-visit destination for visitors from China and abroad. It not only shortens physical distances but also opens up new possibilities for Guizhou's development.

Innovation behind the bridge

For the builders of the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, building the bridge meant overcoming one technical challenge after another, refining designs through successive iterations, and protecting the innovations developed along the way.

The main cables are the bridge's lifeline. Accurately assessing their condition and ensuring effective maintenance are key challenges facing the bridge's construction team. "Unlike conventional monitoring methods, the team installed three smart cable strands along the bridge's main cables. Using armored fiber Bragg grating technology, they monitor parameters such as cable stress, temperature and humidity in real time. Integrated with the bridge health monitoring and automatic dehumidification systems, this system enables continuous monitoring from one side span through the main span to the other side span," said Guo Jiping, chief engineer at Guizhou Communications Investment Economic & Technology R&D Co., Ltd. Several technologies developed during the bridge's construction have also been incorporated into national standards for bridge construction. These advances could provide a replicable and scalable model for long-span bridge construction in mountainous regions worldwide.

The bridge's Celestial Blue finish complements the surrounding mountains and waters, reflecting a design philosophy that brings together nature and culture. "The inspiration came from A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, a renowned Chinese landscape painting. This color scheme was selected from 26 proposed options. Its understated, refined tones create a striking yet harmonious contrast with the bridge's robust structure, helping make it a cultural symbol of Chinese aesthetics," said Liu Lingqi, deputy director of the General Department at Guizhou Provincial Transportation Planning, Survey & Design Research Institute Co., Ltd.

Intellectual property (IP) protection has also played a key role in this mega-project. "The value of a patent should never stop at a certificate. Its real purpose is to protect technological innovation and help turn research into practical applications," said Wu Hanlang, an official at the Guiyang Intellectual Property Protection Center. To support both traffic and tourism on the bridge, the center worked with the Patent Examination Cooperation (Sichuan) Center of the Patent Office, China National Intellectual Property Administration to provide proactive IP services. Together, they established a protection framework covering trademarks, design patents and invention patents. With the support of expedited preliminary patent examination services, the initiative helped relevant organizations file 41 additional patent applications and obtain 12 patents, establishing patent coverage across eight key technology areas, including smart cables and wind environment monitoring.

A bridge to better livelihoods

Since the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge opened, travel between the two sides of the canyon has been cut from around two hours to just two minutes. For local residents, getting around is now much easier, and new opportunities are transforming everyday life.

At the bridge's tourism area, Mr. Fan, a resident of Beipanjiang Village in Beipanjiang Town, Zhenfeng County, was on duty managing crowds. "I used to work on the farm at home. Since the bridge opened, I've been able to come here to work when needed, while still taking care of the farm. It gives me an extra source of income, and life feels full of possibilities," he said.

Fan is not alone in benefiting from the bridge. "The bridge has given a major boost to our town's economic and social development. More than 200 homestays and restaurants have opened here, and over 2,200 migrant workers have returned home, alongside local community leaders and entrepreneurs," said Yang Jian, mayor of Huajiang Town in Guanling Bouyei and Miao Autonomous County. Building on the strengths of its 28 villages and four communities, Huajiang Town is expanding tourism services while developing local specialties, including honey plums and Bangui peppercorns. The aim is to turn the influx of visitors into lasting economic benefits for local businesses and industries.

A bridge to integrated development

From high-speed racing tracks and glass viewing walkways to spectacular waterfall light shows, the bridge offers visitors a wide range of experiences. Behind these diverse tourism experiences is an integrated plan developed at the bridge's design stage to combine tourism attractions above the bridge with productive uses below it. "We planned for sightseeing, recreational activities and tourism services from the beginning, integrating tourism facilities with the bridge's structure," Liu explained. The waterfall light show is one example. Karst water discovered during construction of the Huajiang Tunnel is collected and reused, with some stored in a reservoir with a capacity of about 5,000 cubic meters. It supplies the service area's daily water needs and is also used in the waterfall light show, while the water is also used to irrigate surrounding vegetation as it flows down the slope.

IP protection has developed alongside the project's integration of transport and tourism. Wu said the Guiyang Intellectual Property Protection Center had provided comprehensive IP support, helping clarify ownership of design work, build a trademark portfolio covering tourism, catering and cultural and creative products, and establish a layered protection system involving design patents, software copyrights and invention patents.

The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge connects more than the two sides of a canyon. It brings together natural beauty, better livelihoods for local communities and new opportunities for economic growth. By bridging a once-formidable natural barrier, this bridge is opening up new possibilities for the region's future development.